Roberto Downing

Final Exam
Part 1.

Korean dogs: Friends or Food

The Korean dog eating controversy has gotten more public attention in the last couple of
years. Inhabitants of Korea are polarized between two competing ideological positions. Some
believe that dogs are and have always been food, just like any other livestock. While the
majority of the country almost 70% say that they don’t eat dogs and they see the dogs as pets,
unalike livestock. So basically the debate boils down to those that are “pro-dogs” and those
who are “pro-dog meat”.

To understand this debate we must first take a look at the stakeholders involved. Those people
that have something to gain monetarily and those that feel that they are doing a moral and
ethically righteous work. Historically pro- dog meat advocates establish their position based on
the argument that people have been eating dog for centuries and they eat it because their
ancestors ate it. Which logically it makes sense, all civilizations draw upon their past to develop
and establish. The pro-dogs advocates inversely suggest that as civilizations develop people
become more educated and the old primitive ways are replaced. One such advocate used the
example of how indigenous of Papua New Guinea used to be carnivorous eating human flesh,
but now they know better. People are more educated. In a weird way Korean culture is shifting
to newer trends of thought and beliefs. Younger people are now seeing dogs as pets. It is hard
to pin-point exactly how this change of perspective makes them more “evolved”, but I guess
that’s just how things are.

In this debate there is a fundamental distinction that is made by those who are pro-dog meat,
but those who are pro-dog refuse to recognize; that is the difference between the dogs they eat
and the dogs they love. Or stated differently food or pets. The people who consume believe
that the dog meat has health benefits. In men it is said that it promulgates and develops virility.
Those who see them as pets have develop a kind of sympathy, leveling up the dog in the
cultural animal hierarchy, distinct from chickens, cows or pigs. I couldn’t understand why this
happens from the documentary but it seems to be one of those cases of the herd mentality.

Where there is a demand a supply will surely follow. The dog meat enterprise is a billion-dollar
business in Korea. With 1 million laborers, there is a strong presence of the workers.
These workers are usually those that advocate against the legislation of declassifying the dogs
as livestock. The government seems to be siding with the more humane aspect and is pushing
for more regulations on dog breeders and factories. Even though regulations are in place some
Koreans think that the best way to reduce the illegal dog meat market is by people changing
their eating habits.
Part 2.
I.
Mr. president after analyzing the news document on Yemen I must inform you that
there is indeed a grave situation occurring over there. Due to crisis zones and war zone areas
through the country their economy is in great peril. There are huge amounts of inflation and
the people can’t afford to buy enough food for their families.
The Yemeni people are being destroyed and crumbled by constant airstrikes and bombs
that affect innocent civilians mostly. Even though many are dying due to lack of food and
violence the Yemeni people still stand strong. They pride themselves on being a resilient and
adaptive group of people. Their political structure might be falling to pieces but their social
fabric is holding on tight. Their traditions, family and tribe give them the strength necessary to
surmount any difficulties.
Because of the aggravating nature of the situation they now have no access to meat and
soon enough even vegetables. Thus relying primordially on international food aid for survival. I
think Mr. president that if we want our neighboring country of Yemen to survive and its people
to maintain inside their countries we should try to allocate a special budget for foreign aid.

II. Mr. president after reviewing the Bolivian document I was surprised to hear that Bolivia’s
president is violating its country’s constitution. He is trying to run for a fourth time when the
maximum is just one term. Throughout false promises and shady legislations, he is trying to
garner more support from big companies while backstabbing the people he promised to take
care of, his own people, the indigenous.
By subsidizing large farms, a vital river to neighboring communities has vanished forcing
them to migrate. The construction of large hydroelectric power plants ranks high on his list of
priorities with no regards to the natives affected by such massive construction. After his first
election victory, it wasn’t long before he betrayed the indigenous trust and started collecting
taxes from the animals they hunted and the timber they collected. While at the same time not
providing government support to their communities.
Even though the natives see him as a corrupt individual, others more wealthy than them
praise Evo Morales for sustaining economic stability in the country. Focusing on his reputation
on the world stage seems to be his priority. There seems to be a fundamental debate with
regards to developing and commercializing the country and maintaining and protecting its
country’s culture.

Part 3.

I think that I should get an A on the course. I am pretty sure that I did all of the work required
with sufficient thought and dedication. I tried my best to do what was required and based just
on my performance I think I deserve a good grade. Not excellent because I couldn’t attend all of
the classes but good enough still.

Part 4.

After watching Guru’s gone bad in India again I couldn’t help but notice different aspects
that had escaped my attention before. Since my Individual presentation was on cults and mind
control, I believe I am more equipped with knowledge than before. I am now able to identify
sings and patterns of behavior that fall into cult mentality.
The most prominent sign of cult mentality is the classic instance of great veneration and
idolatry of a person, in this case Rahim Singh. He falls under all the warning signs that fall under
cult structure. He is a charismatic authority, he preaches a transcendent belief system, he uses
different systems of control and indoctrination, and relies on systems of influence in order to
manipulate and shape the follower’s minds.
Looking at this issue through the interdisciplinary approach we can see how cults
basically pray on people’s weaknesses and insecurities by different psychological methods. By
providing a sense of comfort and fostering a feeling of belonging to something bigger than
themselves, followers surrender their thinking and logical reasoning, becoming blinded to the
harsh reality in front of them. With 60 million estimated members worldwide and a 36 million
net worth it is evident that this is not a noble cause but rather a business.
Comparing this to my own analysis at the beginning of the semester I am able to
appreciate the development and evolution of my analytical skills. Before I had based my
analysis purely on emotional feelings. It was more of an opinion rather than an analysis, I have
now come to realize that there is not much value on opinions unless they are substantiated
with evidence and reasoning.

Thank you professor for not trying to make me memorize senseless data but rather to
show me how to analyze and look at the world through a more scientific and unbiased
perspective. That will stay with me forever.